Conspiracy
by Simply Snazzical
Summary: AU. Clique with a Private twist. Alicia Rivera had it all, until Kori Gedman was found dead, and everything went downhill. Her boyfriend, best friend, everything she ever loved... gone. Can she crack this conspiracy before it's too late? PlovertxAlicia
1. trailer

**Ohhkay, so, I had absolutely no plot for DMNA, but then I had an idea that kinda takes that and twists it with Private. So... here's the result. It's pretty much AU Clique with a Private twist. Review?**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Clique or Private. This story is hereby disclaimed (:**

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**Welcome to Briarwood Academy, the most elite boarding school on the East Coast. Excellence is expected, honor is required, and perfection is necessary in every student.**

_"Damn. I only got a 96 on the Chemistry test."_

**Too bad these students don't follow rules - rules follow them.**

_"You heard Dean Don. Anyone caught sneaking out will be punished drastically."_

_"Exactly. We're not going to get caught."_

**What happens when these pampered celebutantes receive a cold-blooded wake up call?**

_"Briarwood Academy Senior Kori Gedman was found dead in her dorm room early this morning, apparently of a drug overdose. Police are still investigating."_

**Suddenly, Briarwood isn't looking all that exclusive after all. **

_"I dunno, I might not come back after this semester. I value my life too much."_

**Especially for these eight teens - the elite of the elite.**

_"Oh. My. God. You can't wear those five-thousand dollar snakeskin Prada heels tonight! You wore them in public a week ago! You can't be caught repeating!"_

**Meet Alicia Rivera; captain of the dance team, girlfriend of Chris Plovert, best friend of Massie Block, top female student in the Junior class, and a resident of the most prestigous dorm on campus.**

_"Why would I make a wish? I have everything I ever dreamed of."_

**She knows you would give anything to be just like her.**

_"I'll make a deal with you. You break into Chris's room for me and I'll tell you what makeup I use."_

**Too bad someone is out to get her - for good.**

_"It's happening again. I keep getting pictures of me with a black X on it. I keep finding them everywhere. I'm scared!"_

**She can't get away from it. **

_"I changed my email twice, got a new phone number, and got a new lock put on my room! Why is it still happening?"_

**And whoever it is that is messing with her seems intent on destroying her life before taking it.**

_"You little slut. I can't believe I ever called you my sister."_

**Just like they took Kori's.**

_"We have breaking news involving the death of Kori Gedman. Police now believe she was murdered."_

**And it's working.**

_"Chris, please listen to me! I didn't mean it! I didn't even feel like myself! Please, just don't do this. I love you!"_

**Her best friend, her boyfriend, and almost everyone on campus have left her to face this alone.**

_"Get the hell out of my life, you whore."_

**Can she crack the case in time to save her own life?**

_"I can't believe it. After all this time I've been practically living with her, and she's been torturing me all along."_

**Or will she end up in the headlines on the obituary page?**

_"I held this gun up agaisnt Kori's head to make her take all those pills. And now, I finally get to use it on you."_

**Starring Alicia Rivera,**

_"I should write a book. How to go from the top of the world to the bottom of hell in ten minutes."_

**Chris Plovert,**

_"Alicia! Oh my god, no!"_

**Massie Block,**

_"You're not my best friend, you're my sister."_

**Derrick Harrington, **

_"Kiss me. Do it now. Alicia, please!"_

**Josh Hotz,**

_"Wait, how do you say sexy in Spanish again?"_

**and Olivia Ryan.**

_"Habitat for Humanity looks good on your college application? Well, a cheque for the new library looks good on mine!"_

**What if everything you lived for, everyone you trusted, everything you ever wanted all turned out to be a cold-blooded conspiracy?**

**Would you be able to change it before it took your life?**

**Coming soon to screens near you.**

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**I'm sure you can all see the Private influence! It's gonna be different though... I'm just borrowing some key points in the plot!**

**Reviews are much appreciated ;)**


	2. a day in the life of alicia rivera

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This one's for you (:**

**It's not really a chapter, more of a lead in. **

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_a day in the life of Alicia Rivera;_

Alicia Rivera loved how predictably perfect her life was.

Wake up in the most exclusive dorm on campus, sharing a room with the most popular girl in the school?

Check.

Examine her massive closet for the ideal outfit, out of thousands of dollars worth of brand-new designer clothes and shoes and purses?

Check.

Walk to breakfast with Massie, Olivia and Dylan, her best friends, while everyone on campus stares and shoots them envious, awestruck stares?

Check.

Sit with Chris Plovert, soccer star, heartbreakingly gorgeous, and her boyfriend of a year and a half, at the sunny window-side table for breakfast?

Check.

Shine in every class she had, while sneaking out at the end of third period for a secret makeout session with Chris behind the old administration building?

Check.

Spend lunch joking around with Massie, Chris, Josh, Olivia, and Derrick, one-half of Briarwood's "dream couple?" (The other half being Massie, of course)

Check.

Blow away everyone at dance team practice with her flawless routines?

Check.

Hours of free time, always spent with Massie or Chris on the lush soccer field?

Check.

Busy evenings with Chris or secret parties in the woods?

Check.

And then she was right back to where she started. Never a change, never a ugly dent put in her impeccable life. She had it all.

Of course, she hadn't factored in the illegal, off-campus bashes that were thrown regularly, or Kori Gedman, the girl who hated her with a passion.

With a roll of her big brown eyes, she added a bitchfit with Kori somewhere between third period makeouts and dance team practice. That girl hated Alicia for having Chris, and Alicia hated her for wanting Chris.

But anyway. She had everything a girl could ever wish for.

But it all changed that fateful morning, the first day of October.

She woke up from her sleep and her blissful life when the screaming started.

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**First chapter on the way. Expect it in a day or two!**


	3. one

**Sorry it's taking so long to update. I hate exams :(**

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"What the eff?" Massie Block groaned, flipping over on her bed and burying her face in a lush down pillow. "Shut up!"

Alicia rubbed her eyes and forced herself to sit up, giggling at her melodramatic best friend. The screaming continued, shrill and panicked. Someone probably got a detention or a new Chloe bag or something else this window-shatteringly-dramatic.

With a yawn, Alicia twisted her hair into a low ponytail and reluctantly pushed her layers of fluffy blanket off of her. Of course the morning of this over-the-top wake-up call was the one after she had spent half the night in the old administration building basement with Chris Plovert. Friday-night sneak-outs were their tradition. From midnight to around three AM were typically the highlights of her week.

"We better go see what's going on. They're only going to scream louder if Massie Block isn't there to tell them what to do," She joked. She straightened her white cami and folded the waistband of her matching cotton shorts before twisting a ribbon around her black hair. Even first thing in the morning, she had to look perfect. It was part of her job.

She crossed the massive, sun-filled room and dragged Massie down the hall and a flight of stairs, where the screaming seemed to be coming from. She noticed Dylan Marvil and Olivia Ryan sleep-walking their way after them, and Allie-Rose Singer and Denver Gold weren't far behind.

A single door on the second floor was open. Kori Gedman's room. The thought of her put a bitter taste in Alicia's mouth. The athletic, blonde senior had issues with Alicia the second she had walked in the door to Briarwood, the first day of her sophomore year. When Chris had asked her out only weeks later, her dislike flared up to loathing. Girl had serious issues.

Alicia stayed back and let Massie march in first. She was fearless, impossible to beat, and a leader through and through. There was a reason she was president of the student body when she was a Junior. Alicia had never seen her not get something she wanted, whether it was front-row tickets to the Jonas Brothers, an exclusive pair of Prada heels, or Derrick Harrington. Alicia was proud to call Massie her best friend.

"What the hell is going on here?" Massie demanded, tapping her berry-colored nails on the white wood door frame. And then her face went blank. Frozen. Ashen.

Alicia stepped forward quickly. Massie wasn't one to show her surprise.

But the second she saw, her blood ran cold.

The heavy, baby blue velvet curtains were closed, casting an eerie, gloomy glow over the whole blue-green-and-brown, stripy-themed room. The bed was neatly made, the closet door open, and the desk empty - the navy blue laptop was cracked on the floor.

The strange setup wasn't what made her head reel so violently it could have passed as a hangover.

Coral McAdams, or Strawberry as everyone called her, was screaming over Kori Gedman's body.

"Oh my God! Someone do something!" Alicia managed to choke out. This couldn't be happening. Massie was still frozen by the door, and the rest of the house was gathered behind her. Dylan was sobbing, Olivia looked like a panicked puppy, Allie-Rose was shrieking for Mrs. Barber, their house monitor, and everyone else was in shock. Evem Skye Hamilton, the ever-collected, honey-blonde senior was wide-eyed and shaking.

"Move, girls! Let me get in!" Mrs. Barber commanded, pushing her way through the cluster of the most pampered girls on the East Coast.

Alicia watched in silence as she tried to CPR Kori back to life. But she could tell there was no use. The girl's head lolled off to one side, her lips tinged blue, her face borderline gray.

In the background, she could hear Denver on the phone with 911, whisper-sobbing what was going on.

Alicia forced her eyes off Kori and they landed on a small, black silk bag lying by Kori's head. A few small red and gray pills spilled over the top. Alicia jerked back a step in shock. Why would Kori have killed herself? Even though they were more or less enemies, she had plenty of admirers. She was blonde, pretty, athletic. A soccer star, straight-A student, and living in the best dorm. This was her senior year too.

Alicia's stunned gaze landed on a single half-sheet of paper resting by the bag. A single line was written, in Kori's stationary-worth handwriting.

_"The one thing I want is the one I can't have. I'm sorry."_

With a jolt, Alicia realized she meant Chris. And then she remembered.

Right as she was sneaking out the night before, she had crossed paths with Kori at the bottom of the stairs. Through the darkness, Alicia had thought it looked like Kori had been crying.

"Where are you going?" Kori had sneered, taking in her cashmere coat, matching hat, and cheeks rosy from excitement.

"Out to meet Chris," She had smiled sweetly in return, loving the venom she got in return.

"Bitch," Kori had whimpered, anger and annoyance on her pretty face. And even some hurt...

"Jealous," Alicia had taunted before slinking out the fire escape. "Too bad you can't have him."

And then the dizziness took over, and her world went black.

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**Ooh. Drama. There's lots more of it coming up.**

**Review??**


	4. two

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I am SO SO SO happy exams are done and Christmas is in 4 days! Yay! Expect a lot of updates by the end of the year. That sounded funny, but you get what I'm saying. (:

**Do I really need to say what I want you to do? ;)**

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Alicia reopened her eyes to screams and sobs. By now, half the dorm was crying their eyes out, and the other half was stunned into silence.

A tight pain in her head made her wince. When she had fainted, she must have hit her head on something. "Leesh? Can you hear me?"

Massie was kneeling down at her side, squeezing her hand. "That totally just freaked me out. I mean, you just completely collapsed."

The shaky tone of Massie's voice worried Alicia. She _never_ was one to show emotion.

"I'm fine," Alicia lied, her gaze once again locking onto the suicide note. The curly letters blurred and the dizziness threatened to take control again.

She should have known not to stare at it, because Massie caught on to everything insanely fast. Her amber eyes narrowed and she snatched the piece of paper up and scanned over it quickly. For the second time in ten minutes, her face blanked. She caught Alicia's tear-filled eyes and mouthed, "Chris?"

Alicia nodded. She didn't trust her own voice. Massie released the paper and it fluttered uselessly to the ground, landing so that it just grazed Kori's fingertips.

Alicia stayed sitting against the wall stoically as the paramedics loaded Kori's body onto a stretcher, Dean Don showed up clutching a cell phone, and the trail of weeping girls followed them all down the stairs. The very same stairs Alicia had confronted Kori on only hours ago. Had she been the last person to see Kori alive?

Massie firmly pulled Alicia up and hugged her briefly before firmly pulling her down the stairs.

As the pathetic parade traipsed out the door, they were met by a crowd of confused, concerned onlookers. Massie ran straight into Derrick, her boyfriend of two years and hands-down most popular guy at Briarwood's arms, leaving Alicia standing alone.

Gasps and sudden screeches filled the unnaturally still October air at the sight of the stretcher, draped over with a white sheet. The wheels hit the cobblestone pathway and Kori's arm slipped off the side, then hung eerily by her side. The shimmery navy polish on her nails gleamed in the early morning light.

The inky black was just about to send Alicia fainting again when a pair of strong arms encircled her from behind, and consciousness found her once more.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Chris Plovert demanded, examining her for any signs of injury. His blue eyes were so filled with caring and concern that Alicia just lost it.

The guilty tears spilled onto his shirt, and her thin body shuddered with sobs. "K- Kori," She stuttered, her voice muffled. "She... she killed herself."

Chris's sharp intake of breath sent her on another round of sobs. "Why?" He said simply, more to himself than to her. He absentmindedly stroked her hair, still holding her close.

"She left a note," Alicia whispered. "It said that the only thing she wanted was the one she couldn't have."

Alicia pulled away a mere six inches to gauge his reaction. When he didn't answer, she meekly added, "She meant you."

She instantly wished she hadn't. Chris's normally tanned skin blanked. "You mean... She killed herself over _me_?"

He let go of Alicia and flopped onto the brick ledge that marked the dorm and buried his head in his hands. "Why would she do that?"

Alicia followed him and curled up against his side. "It's not your fault. Don't feel guilty. If anyone should feel guilty, it should be me."

Chris recoiled. "_What_?"

The tears started again. "Last night, when I was sneaking out, I saw Kori. She asked me where I was going, I told her I was meeting up with you, she called me a bitch, and I told her she was just jealous that she couldn't have you. She must have gone back to her room and... and... and taken those pills."

Just like that, he was holding her again. "You can't feel guilty either. Something's not right here. Why would she have killed herself over that? It doesn't make sense. She had so much other stuff going on for her... soccer, grades, friends, looks... I mean, it's just not making sense," He said logically. Alicia was suddenly grateful for his solid level-headed-ness. Without him, she would be a blubbering mess on the ground.

Then again, without him, Kori might not be dead.

Amid the hysteria, Dean Don stood atop the ledge and whistled sharply. The chaos instantly ceased right as the ambulance pulled out and the police cars pulled up.

"Students. I regret to inform you that Kori Gedman has died. We ask that nobody leave campus until we have this sorted out. Anyone caught leaving will face drastic punishment. All the young ladies who live in this building, please report to your rooms for questioning. Everyone else, classes have been canceled for the day. Although this looks like a suicide, we are having a complete investigation. This is a hard time for all of us. We will have an assembly tonight in the Performing Arts center before dinner. Thank you," Dean Don sighed, a ghostly look on his gaunt face.

Alicia slowly stood up, her entire body shaking. Chris never let her go, standing beside her.

"They're probably going to ask when the last time you saw her was," He said in a hushed whisper. "If you tell them it was when you were sneaking out, we're both going to be expelled."

Alicia's eyes widened. She couldn't be expelled. She loved Briarwood; loved everything about it. She couldn't leave. Neither could Chris.

"I can't. I'll have to lie. I'm not going to be the reason you get hurt. I had nothing to do with her death, so it doesn't matter."

Chris looked relieved. "I love you."

She tried to smile and failed miserably. "I love you too."

With a quick kiss, he finally let her go, and she reluctantly made her way back up the path to her dorm. Olivia met her halfway there and linked her arm through Alicia's on one side and Allie-Rose's on the other. "This is so sad. I wonder how they're going to tell her parents."

Allie-Rose broke down into another crying fit and ran ahead back inside. Alicia bit her lip. "I can't believe they're interviewing us all right now. You'd think they would wait for a day or two."

Olivia nodded. "I know, right? Plus, it's obviously a suicide. The note, the pills... I mean, seriously."

Alicia bit her lip harder. "It has to be. Or else... it means that one of _us,_" She paused, glancing around at her housemates. Her friends. Her sisters.

"Is a murderer," She finished. "And that's not something I can deal with."

Olivia nodded again, a little more forcefully. "I _totally_ agree. We're all like, best friends in here."

A heavyset police officer thumped across the room in heavy, muddy shoes. "Ladies? We just want to ask you a few questions."

He glanced around the room at the fifteen tear-stained celebutantes. "Who's first?"

When no one answered, he pursed his lips and scanned over the still-sobbing Allie-Rose, puffy-eyed Denver, shell-shocked Skye, and landed on the semi-composed Alicia.

"Miss? With the ribbon? Do you mind going first while we let these ladies calm down?" He stated, not so much as a question.

Olivia squeezed her arm just a little tighter than an arm-squeeze needed to be.

Alicia sighed, already feeling guilty. "Let's get this over with."

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**Click it.  
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	5. three

**So yeah, that whole lots-of-updates thing didn't work out so well. I ended up going to Atlanta for a few days and things have been a lot busier than I expected. Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon.**

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"So Miss Rivera, I understand that you and Kori Gedman didn't get along very well?" The detective asked calmly, gently tapping his silver pen on the sleek mahogany table of the study room. Alicia stared at the glinting pen, transfixed.

"Miss Rivera?" He prodded. She snapped right out of her trance.

"No, we didn't," She said shortly. "She hated me. I was new here my Sophomore year, and this guy she really liked asked me out like, the second week of school. She couldn't stand me after that."

The detective looked intrigued. "Really. I see. That's... very interesting."

Alicia crossed her ankles delicately. "How so?"

"It appears you had the motive. But do you have an alibi?" He said, eyebrows raised. "The coroner estimates her time of death from 1 to 2 this morning."

"Do you mean you think I _killed_ her?" Alicia shrieked. The quiet hum of voices back in the living room fell silent.

The detective seemed to be fighting to keep the shock off his face. "I never said that."

"But you implied it," Alicia snarled. "And I thought this was a suicide."

"We _think_ it's a suicide, but we can't be sure until we complete a full investigation." He jotted something down in his notebook. "So do you have an alibi?"

Alicia froze. She had been in an abandoned basement with Chris from 12 to 3. She had nothing to do with Kori's death, murder or suicide. But she couldn't say that, obviously. She couldn't be the reason Chris got expelled.

"I was asleep. In my room. Like every other girl in the house," She finally said, keeping her eyes on her special-edition navy knit Uggs. "And obviously no one can confirm that."

"I see. When was the last time you saw Kori?" The detective questioned, glancing at his watch.

"Just before midnight. I was going downstairs to... get a drink, and I saw her coming back up the stairs. She looked like she was crying. She asked me what I was doing, I told her, and she kept going up. I didn't see her after that," Alicia admitted, trying for her own sake to tell some of the truth.

"And do you know the exact time of this encounter?"

"I left my room at 11:49. My roommate, Massie, can confirm that. She was working on an extra-credit paper for AP Euro. When I came back up, she had fallen asleep with the lights on and her books all over her bed. I don't know exactly what time that was," She said truthfully.

"Okay. Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Rivera. I'll let you know of any developments in the case." The detective stood up and opened the door, and she swished past him in a huff.

Massie greeted her with a hug. "How was it?"

Alicia sniffed. "It was like they suspected me. It was awful."

Massie gasped. "Suspected you? I thought it was a suicide!"

"They're still doing a full investigation," Alicia explained. "They asked me if I had an alibi from 1 to 2 and I told them I was asleep."

"But you were really out with Chris, and you can't tell them that because you would get expelled," Massie finished, on top of it as always.

"Don't worry, I left you out of it. I told them you were awake when I left the room at midnight, but you were asleep when I came back in," Alicia said quickly.

"Thanks." Massie smiled and took a seat on the couch. "Don't worry, by the end of the week they'll know Kori was just a nutcase and you're innocent. It'll blow over."

Alicia tried not to start crying all over again. "You really are my best friend, aren't you?"

Massie hugged her again. "You're not my best friend, you're my sister."

"You're gonna make me cry again!" Alicia objected through sobs.

Olivia bounced onto the couch. "Leesh, don't cry! None of this is your fault at all. You had nothing to do with it, right? Don't feel guilty!"

Her words sent daggers through her already-reeling head. _Not her fault. Nothing to do with it. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt._

"Thanks, Liv," She choked out. "This is just so surreal. I mean, yesterday she was here bitchyfitting at me, and now... now... oh, I can't take this!"

Massie firmly shook her shoulders. "Leesh! Snap out of it! Don't let this wreck you're life. Or your face. Crying is so bad for puffy eyes! Let's just go to the spa or something. There's nothing a facial and a mani/pedi can't fix."

Olivia squealed. "Yeah! A spa day! It's perfect! We can all relax and try to feel better."

"Okay. But you heard Dean Don. Anyone caught sneaking out will be punished drastically," Alicia worried.

"Exactly. We're not going to get caught," Massie grinned, earning a high five from Olivia.

"Mass! I can't get in any trouble. I'm already in deep enough. Anything else and I'm going to drown," Alicia pouted.

Massie studied her expression and sighed. "Let's see if I can't convince our beloved Dean Don to give us the weekend off campus. You know, to grieve and all."

Ten minutes later, Massie was back with a triumphant smirk. "All I had to do was remind him how Daddy pays half a million every year to keep this place running and he was putty in my hands."

Alicia had to smile. Her best friend didn't know the word "no."

"Yay! I'm just gonna grab my credit cards and I'm ready to go." Olivia danced through the room and up the stairs.

"It's gonna be okay," Massie said softly.

"I know," Alicia said doubtfully. "I know," She repeated, promising herself that she would start believing it.

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**Reviews are loved.**


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